i (Vithoba) can stand for you or i can Sit(Tota Gopinath) for you , you tell me my Dear Devotee , whatever you wish , i will do " ~ Krishn
we all know vithoba is standing for his loving devotee pundrik maharaj @ pandharpur , today will see how he is sitting to accept a seva from his Gadadhar...
Sri Tota Gopinath is exquisitely beautiful self-manifested Deity of Lord Sri Krishna. Sri Tota Gopinath is also a most unique Deity because He is the only Krishn Deity in the world “sitting down” and playing His flute. tough he was not this sitting posture before !! will read this later in this narration that how the merciful lord changed his standing posture
Tota Gopinath has such a charismatic bewitching quality that draws one to His darshan over and over again. At 7am during darshanv time, upon request, the pujari can show a small golden streak on Gopinath’s right knee where Mahaprabhu entered the Lord.
Tota Gopinath has such a charismatic bewitching quality that draws one to His darshan over and over again. At 7am during darshanv time, upon request, the pujari can show a small golden streak on Gopinath’s right knee where Mahaprabhu entered the Lord.
APPEARANCE OF SRI TOTA GOPINATH
Gopinath temple is situated in Sri Ksetra Jagannath Puri Dham in an area named "Yamesvar Tota". When Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyas, He stayed at Jagannath Puri Dham for 18 years. Sri Gadadhar Pandit also came with Mahaprabhu. Most of Mahaprabhu’s other associates in Navadvip remained in Bengal; they came to Puri only once in a year, for the four months of the rainy season, to attend the Lord Jagannath Rathayatr and to see Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But Gadadhar Pandit couldn’t bear to be separated from the Lord, and the Lord couldn’t bear to be separated from Him. So He was permitted to stay with Mahaprabhu in Puri. Gadadhar Pandit resided here at Sri Tota Gopinatha Temple Location . While residing here in this peaceful garden of trees and creepers, Gadadhar Pandit recited Srimad-Bhagavatam every afternoon. Mahaprabhu attended regularly and heard recount the stories of Dhruva Maharaj and Prahlad Maharaj 100 times.
One day here, Sri Caitanyadev experienced immense separation from Lord Krishna. Crying out, “Where is My Prananath,” Gauranga started digging the earth to search of His Lord. Feeling the carved stone mukuta of a murti below the ground, Gaurahari declared, “Gadai (Gadadhar), I have found a most precious treasure here. Would you like to accept it?” Noticing the head of a murti emerging from the sand, Gadadhara helped Gauranga uncover a most beautiful Deity of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.
Mahaprabhu named the Deity, Gopinath and because He appeared in this garden called Tota in Oriya the devotees called Him," Tota Gopinatha". Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave the responsibility of Sri Tota Gopinatha’s service to His most dear Gadadhar Pandit, and also awarded Him ksetra-sannyasa.
Sri Tota Gopinatha Deity is very beautiful. Sri Vrindavan Das Thakur describes Sri Tota Gopinatha’s beauty in his Sri Caitanya-Bhagavat as follows:
Gopinath temple is situated in Sri Ksetra Jagannath Puri Dham in an area named "Yamesvar Tota". When Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyas, He stayed at Jagannath Puri Dham for 18 years. Sri Gadadhar Pandit also came with Mahaprabhu. Most of Mahaprabhu’s other associates in Navadvip remained in Bengal; they came to Puri only once in a year, for the four months of the rainy season, to attend the Lord Jagannath Rathayatr and to see Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But Gadadhar Pandit couldn’t bear to be separated from the Lord, and the Lord couldn’t bear to be separated from Him. So He was permitted to stay with Mahaprabhu in Puri. Gadadhar Pandit resided here at Sri Tota Gopinatha Temple Location . While residing here in this peaceful garden of trees and creepers, Gadadhar Pandit recited Srimad-Bhagavatam every afternoon. Mahaprabhu attended regularly and heard recount the stories of Dhruva Maharaj and Prahlad Maharaj 100 times.
One day here, Sri Caitanyadev experienced immense separation from Lord Krishna. Crying out, “Where is My Prananath,” Gauranga started digging the earth to search of His Lord. Feeling the carved stone mukuta of a murti below the ground, Gaurahari declared, “Gadai (Gadadhar), I have found a most precious treasure here. Would you like to accept it?” Noticing the head of a murti emerging from the sand, Gadadhara helped Gauranga uncover a most beautiful Deity of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.
Mahaprabhu named the Deity, Gopinath and because He appeared in this garden called Tota in Oriya the devotees called Him," Tota Gopinatha". Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave the responsibility of Sri Tota Gopinatha’s service to His most dear Gadadhar Pandit, and also awarded Him ksetra-sannyasa.
Sri Tota Gopinatha Deity is very beautiful. Sri Vrindavan Das Thakur describes Sri Tota Gopinatha’s beauty in his Sri Caitanya-Bhagavat as follows:
gadadhara bhavane mohana Gopinatha
achene, ye hena nanda-kumara saksat
apane Caitanya tare kariyachena kole
ati pasandi-o se vigraha dekhe bhule
dekhi sri-murali mukha angera bhangima
nityananda ananda asura nahi sima
(Sri Caitanya-Bhagavat Antya 7.114)
achene, ye hena nanda-kumara saksat
apane Caitanya tare kariyachena kole
ati pasandi-o se vigraha dekhe bhule
dekhi sri-murali mukha angera bhangima
nityananda ananda asura nahi sima
(Sri Caitanya-Bhagavat Antya 7.114)
“In the house of Gadadhar there is most attractive Gopinath. This Deity looks exactly like son of Nanda Himself is sitting there. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself had held Him in His lap. Even most atheistic person will be changed to see this Deity. By seeing the posture of the body and face with flute Lord Nityanand sheds tears of bliss limitlessly.”
WHY SRI TOTA GOPINATHA IS SITTING DOWN?
The Deity of Sri Tota Gopinath was previously in standing form and was being worshiped by Sri Gadadhara Pandit. But after the departure of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Gadai (Gadadhar) felt devastated. His body got bent over from intense agony of separation from his beloved Gaur hari. Although he was only 47 years old, Gadadhara became lean and thin like an old man. Incapable of lifting his arms, Gadai could neither dress Tota Gopinatha nor offer Him candan and flower garlands. Gadadhar thought it best to engage another pujari in worshiping the Lord. In a dream that night, Tota Gopinath appeared and said:
“Why do you want to engage another pujari in My seva? I only want you to serve Me.”
Gadadhara replied, “O Prananath! Due to my condition, I can no longer stand up and serve You properly.”
Lord Gopinatha said, “No, I insist that you alone serve Me. If you are finding difficulty, then from tomorrow I will become shorter.”Next morning when Gadadhar entered the Deity room to serve Gopinath, he saw an amazing sight. The most merciful Lord had sat down in order to receive service from his hands.
After the Disappearance of Sri Gadadhara Pandit, another devotee by name Mamu Thakur took care of Sri Tota Gopinath Deities. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to call him Mama, which is Bengali for uncle; in Orissa, "uncle" is Mamu. Thus he was known as Mamu Thakur among the people.Do not forget to visit this temple and beloved Tota Gopinath if you visit Jagannath Puri
The Deity of Sri Tota Gopinath was previously in standing form and was being worshiped by Sri Gadadhara Pandit. But after the departure of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Gadai (Gadadhar) felt devastated. His body got bent over from intense agony of separation from his beloved Gaur hari. Although he was only 47 years old, Gadadhara became lean and thin like an old man. Incapable of lifting his arms, Gadai could neither dress Tota Gopinatha nor offer Him candan and flower garlands. Gadadhar thought it best to engage another pujari in worshiping the Lord. In a dream that night, Tota Gopinath appeared and said:
“Why do you want to engage another pujari in My seva? I only want you to serve Me.”
Gadadhara replied, “O Prananath! Due to my condition, I can no longer stand up and serve You properly.”
Lord Gopinatha said, “No, I insist that you alone serve Me. If you are finding difficulty, then from tomorrow I will become shorter.”Next morning when Gadadhar entered the Deity room to serve Gopinath, he saw an amazing sight. The most merciful Lord had sat down in order to receive service from his hands.
After the Disappearance of Sri Gadadhara Pandit, another devotee by name Mamu Thakur took care of Sri Tota Gopinath Deities. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to call him Mama, which is Bengali for uncle; in Orissa, "uncle" is Mamu. Thus he was known as Mamu Thakur among the people.Do not forget to visit this temple and beloved Tota Gopinath if you visit Jagannath Puri
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